Self-supporting trousers



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 14, 1960 FIG.1.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS July 23, 1963 A. DIAMOND 3,098,238

SELF-SUPPORTING TROUSERS Filed Nov. 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2O FIG.4.

INVENTOR AT TOR NEYS July 23, 1963 A. DIAMOND 3,098,238

SELF-SUPPORTING TROUSERS Filed Nov. 14, 1960 v s Sheets-Sheet a INVENTORWWMEMM% ATTORNEYS 3,098,238 SELF-SUPPORTING TROUSERS Alfred Diamond,London, England, assignor to S. Simpson Limited, London, England, aBritish company Filed Nov. 14, 196i), Ser. No. 68,911 2 (,lairns. (Cl.2237) This invention relates to self-supporting trousers and has for anobject to provide an improved construction of the supporting means forsuch trousers which accommodates itself to the movements of the wearerwithout any noticeable change in appearance of the trousers and providesa comfortable fit at the waist line.

In accordance with the invention the waist band at each side of thetrousers is in two sections of which the end portion of one section oran extension thereof 18 slidable within the other and pleats areprovided in the material of the trousers at each side which pleatsextend into the waistband where the material adjacent one edge of eachpleat is stitched to the slidable section of the waist :band. The twosections of the waist band at each side of the trousers are connected bya band of elastic webbing disposed in a tunnel formed by the waist bandand its lining, one end of the webbing being connected with the endportion or extension of the one section and the other end beingconnected with the remote end of the other section but otherwiseunattached to the waist band. This band of elastic webbing when he waistband is stretched permits the pleat to open and when the strain on thewaist band is relieved restores the pleat to the normal pleatedposition. Preferably a second band of elastic webbing is provided ateach side of the trousers, this webbing being connected at one end withthe lining of one section of the waist band and at a remote point withthe inside of the other section of the waist band but otherwiseunattached to the waist band and serving to distribute the strain on thewaist band. The pleats may be arranged to close forwardly or rearwardly.

A third elastic band may be stitched to the inside of the pleat at oneend and to one of the elastic bands at the other, so as to ensure thatwhen the pressure on the waist band is relieved the pleat will fold inthe desired direction.

The waist band lining may be provided on its face in known manner withspaced pads preventing the shirt of the wearer from riding up.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings in which FIGS. 1 and 2 are exterior fragmentary views of oneside of the trousers, FIG. 1 showing the waist band of the trousers inthe unstretched condition and FIG. 2 showing the Waist band of thetrousers in the stretched condition and showing the pleat adjacent theside seam opened. FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views corresponding toFIGS. 1 and 2 respectively of the inside of the trousers. FIG. 5 is aperspective view of the waist band of the trousers from above while FIG.6 is an enlarged fragmentary view looking in the direction of the arrowA in FIG. 5 with 'tW-O adjacent sections of the waist band lining raisedto show the construction.

Referring to the drawings, 9 indicates the material of the body of thetrousers, 10 indicates the side seams of the trousers, 11 the usual sidepocket and 12 the hip pocket. 13, 14 indicate two sections of the waistband and 13a, 14a the corresponding sections of the lining of the waistband, 15 indicates a small pleat provided in the material of thetrousers adjacent the side seam at each side of the trousers with thematerial adjacent its upper edges respectively attached to differentsections of the waist band. The pleat is preferably stitched along thefolding lines as illustrated by the dotted line 16, in

3,098,238 Patented July 23, 1963 FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6, to ensure correctassumption of the folds when the pleat closes.

Referring to FIG. 6, 17 and 18 indicate two elastic bands controllingthe opening and closing of the pleat 15. As will be observed, theelastic bands 17 and 18 are connected at their respective ends only withthe sections of the waistband or waistband lining. One end portion ofthe elastic band 17 is attached to the inside of the lining section 13aadjacent to a narrow space 22 between the ends of the lining sections13a and 14a. The other end portion of the elastic band 17 is attached tothe inside of the waistband section 14 at a point remote from theattachment to the lining section 13a. The waistband section 14 includesa tapered extension 14b which extends into the tunnel provided by thewaistband section 13 and its lining section 13a. One end of the secondelastic band 18, as shown in FIG. 6, is attached to the inner face ofthe projecting end of the extension 14b, while its other end is attachedat a point remote therefrom to the waistband section 13. The two bandsof elastic webbing 17 and 18 may be otherwise connected to the waistbandand lining sections.

The pleat 15 includes two folds, one on the outside of the trousers andone on the inside. In FIG. 6, one end of an auxiliary elastic band U issewed to the upper portion of the inside fold 24 of the pleat 15, whileits other end is sewed to the body of the elastic band 18, therebyfacilitating the folding of the pleat in one direction when the strainon the elastic bands 17 and 18 is relieved.

The construction shown in FIG. 6 also includes a loop 21 located insideand adjacent to the right hand end of the waistband section 13 whichserves as a guide for the waistband extension 14b which is slidablewithin the tunnel formed by the waistband 13 and its lining 13a. Sincethe elastic band 18 is attached to the inside of the waistband section13 and to the end of the waistband extension 14b, the elastic does notbecome visible on the pleat being stretched. In the drawings 20indicates rubber or like pads sewed to the lining of the waistband toprevent the shirt of the wearer from riding up.

With respect to the details of construction shown in FIG. 6, it will benoted that the material Q of the body of the trousers extends into thelower portion of the waistband between the sections 13, 13a, and 14,14a. At the left side in FIG. 6 the top edge of the material 9 isindicated at 23. This edge runs to about the position of the top of thepocket 11 then extends upwardly so that the side seam 10 of thismaterial terminates just above the elastic band 19. The material 9 atthe right hand side of the side seam 10 forms the pleat 15 which extendsinto the waistband and nearly to the top between the sections 13 and13a. The pleat 15 includes an inside fold line 24 and an outside foldline 25. One end of the elastic band 19 is sewed to the pleat at thefold 24. From the top of the pleat 15, the top' edge of the material 9extends to the right and is sewed to the waistband section 14 by a seam26 extending from about the position of the outside pleat fold 25 ashort distance to the right when the material 9 is reduced in height tolap on the hem of the waistband section 14, as illustrated by thehorizontal line 27. The sections 13 and 14 have folded upper and lowerhems. The "lower edge of the hem of the section 13 is indicated by thedot and dash line 2'8, while that of the section 14 is indicated by thedot and dash line 29 which merges into the sloping lower portion of theextension 14b.

The material 9 is sewed to the lower hem of the waistband section 13 bya seam 30 which extends only up to the pleat 15, as will be understood.The material 3 9 is sewed to the lower hem of the waistband section 14by a seam 31 which extends only to the pleat.

When the pleat 15 is closed, as shown in MG. 6, there is only a narrowspace 22 between the adjacent ends of the lining sections 13a and 14a.The extension 14b projects along the waistband section 13, and the endof this waistband section coincides approximately with the end of liningsection 13a and is shown by a dotted line 32. Therefore, as shown inFIG. 6, the waistband extension 14b is located directly adjacent andinside the waistband section 13, and in front of the upper portion ofthe pleat 15 and the upper portion of the material containing the sideseam 10. When the lining sections 13a and 14a are bent down to theirnormal positions, and sewed down along approximately the seams 30 and31, the elastic bands will all be covered.

When the portions of the waistband to the right and left of the space 22are pulled apart against the actions of the elastic bands 17 and 18, thespace 22 widens, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4 and the pleat 15 opensup with the fold 25, moving with the end portion of the section 13.

I claim:

1. Self supporting trousers comprising a body portion and a waistbandsecured thereto, said waistband being formed in four sections, two ateach side of the trousers, said sections provided with linings, one ofthe two sections at each side of the trousers being movable toward andaway from the second section, a pleat in the material of the bodyportion at each side of the trousers, said pleat extending into thewaistband with one edge of said pleat anchored to the movable section ofthe waistband, a band of elastic webbing attached at one end to themovable section of the waistband and at its other end to said secondwaistband section at a point remote from its point of attachment to themovable section, a band of elastic webbing attached at one end to thelining of one of said two sections and at the other end to the waistbandof the second of said two sections on the same side of the trousers at apoint remote from its point of attachment to the lining of said onesection and a further band of elastic webbing connecting one of saidbands of elastic webbing to the inner side of the pleat.

2. Self supporting trousers comprising a body portion and a waistbandsecured thereto, said waistband being formed in four sections comprisinga section at the rear and a section at the front of the trousers on eachside, a lining for each section of the waistband, said linings formingtunnels with the respective waistband sections at each side of thetrousers, the front section of the waistband at each side of thetrousers being movable toward and away from the rear section, a pleat inthe material of the body portion at each side of the trousers, saidpleat extending into the waistband with one edge of said pleat anchoredto the front section of the waistband, a first band of elastic webbingattached at one end to the rear section of the waistband and extendinginto the tunnel of the front section and attached at its other end tothe front section of the waisband at a point remote from its point ofattachment to the rear section, a second band of elastic webbingattached at one end to the lining of the front section and extendingwithin the tunnel of the rear section and attached at its other end tothe rear section at a point remote from its point of attachment to thelining of the front section, and a further band of elastic webbingattached at one end to said first band of elastic webbing and at itsother end to the inner side of the pleat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,206,505 Klein July 2, 1940 2,526,813 Fanning Oct. 24, 1950 2,569,853Grue Oct. 2, 1951 2,684,486 Purves July 27, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,326Great Britain Feb. 19, 1935 450,848 Great Britain July 23, 1936 101,665Australia July 20, 1937 1,234,791 France May 23, 1960

1. SELF SUPPORTING TROUSERS COMPRISING A BODY PORTION AND A WAISTBANDSECURED THERETO, SAID WAISTBAND BEING FORMED IN FOUR SECTIONS, TWO ATEACH SIDE OF THE TROUSERS, SAID SECTIONS PROVIDED WITH LININGS, ONE OFTHE TWO SECTIONS AT EACH SIDE OF THE TROUSERS BEING MOVABLE TOWARD ANDAWAY FROM THE SECOND SECTION, A PLEAT IN THE MATERIAL OF THE BODYPORTION AT EACH SIDE OF THE TROUSERS, SAID PLEAT EXTENING INTO THEWAISTBAND WITH ONE EDGE OF SAID PLEAT ANCHORED TO THE MOVABLE SECTION OFTHE WAISTBAND, A BAND OF ELASTIC WEBBING ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THEMOVABLE SECTION OF THE WAISTBAND AND AT ITS OTHER END TO SAID SECONDWAISTBAND SECTION AT A POINT REMOTE FROM ITS POINT OF ATTACHMENT TO THEMOVABLE SECTION, A BAND OF ELASTIC WEBBING ATTACHED AT ONE END TO THELINING OF ONE OF SAID TWO SECTIONS AND AT THE OTHER END TO THE WAISTBANDOF THE SECOND OF SAID TWO SECTIONS ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE TROUSERS AT APOINT REMOTE FROM ITS POINT OF ATTACHMENT TO THE LINING OF SAID ONESECTION AND A FURTHER BAND OF ELASTIC WEBBING CONNECTING ONE OF SAIDBANDS OF ELASTIC WEBBING TO THE INNER SIDE OF THE PLEAT.